A Solution for Changes in ATB Legislation -- ed2go Announces the "Bridge to Start" Career Online High School Program for Post-Secondary Institutions

STAMFORD, Conn. and PENSACOLA, Fla., June 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- ed2go, part of Cengage Learning, has recently launched the new "Bridge to Start" career online high school program as a means of enabling millions of students to graduate from an AdvancED/SACS accredited career online high school and continue their education in a post-secondary institution. ed2go is a leading provider of online courses for adult and continuing education students with over two million students enrolled in various courses.

In March of 2011, Smart Horizons Career Online Education (SHCOE) and ed2go joined forces to launch Career Online High School (COHS). COHS was established as an AdvancED/SACS accredited career online high school division within ed2go's global online network and now serves as the foundation for the new Bridge to Start program.

Due to changes in Federal legislation that will become effective on July 1, 2012, students without a high school diploma or a recognized equivalent (GED) will no longer be allowed to receive Federal Financial Aid to attend college. This legislation will affect millions of U.S. students, including approximately 25 percent of the student population currently enrolled in post-secondary career training programs. Without funding, nearly all of these students will no longer be able to enroll in courses—a hardship for both the students and the schools they attend.

COHS provides a cost-effective, fast-track, AdvancED/SACS accredited, online high school program that is specifically designed to re-engage adults who never earned their high school diploma back into the educational system, giving them a Bridge to Start post-secondary education and new career opportunities for a better future.

"The "Bridge to Start" career online high school program is designed as a complete turnkey solution to assist post-secondary institutions in retaining students who did not complete high school and, upon the completion of their high school diploma, make them eligible for Federal funding," said Jerry Weissberg, Vice President and General Manager, ed2go. "The Bridge to Start program also gives post-secondary institutions a vehicle to market and appeal to a new audience of students who are not eligible to enroll in college due to their not having a high school diploma or GED."

"Because COHS is easy-to-implement, very affordable and flexible via online anytime-anywhere access, this is an ideal AdvancED/SACS accredited academic solution for post-secondary institutions seeking to get these students enrolled and started on their path to more successful careers," said Dr. Howard A. Liebman, Superintendent of Schools for SHCOE.

For more information, please feel free to visit http://ed2golive.com/cohs/pages/career-online-high-school/home.php

About Cengage Learning and ed2go

Cengage Learning is a leading provider of innovative teaching, learning and research solutions for the academic, professional and library markets worldwide. ed2go, part of Cengage Learning, is the largest provider of turnkey online training and education solutions serving the adult education, career, and corporate training markets. With over 2,000 colleges, universities, community based organizations and other training providers, ed2go has served more than 2 million students. ed2go's ever-growing catalog of Online Courses and Career Training Programs makes it simple for students to enrich their lives or reach professional goals in a supportive and engaging environment. ed2go also can help educational institutions jump-start their online education programs or augment existing distance learning options. For more information visit www.ed2go.com or www.cengage.com.

About Smart Horizons Career Online Education (SHCOE)

Smart Horizons Career Online Education, founded in 2009 and located in Pensacola, Florida, is a private, AdvancED/SACS accredited online school district. AdvancED/SACS District accreditation signifies that SHCOE and all of its schools are fully accredited and that SHCOE is recognized across the nation as a quality school system. Smart Horizons Career Online Education offers 18-credit, career-based high school diploma programs that are designed to prepare students for entrance into the workplace. Career certificate offerings include Childcare Education, Office Management, Protection Services, Homeland Security, Healthcare (coming soon), Transportation Services, and Professional Skills. For more information, visit our website at www.shcoe.org, call our office at 855-777-4265, or email us at [email protected].

SOURCE Cengage Learning